Calibrachoa plant named ‘INCALCOBLU’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant named ‘INCALCOBLU’, characterized by its compact and uniformly low mounding to eventually trailing plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; early and freely flowering habit; large dark purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Calibrachoa Llave & Lex.

Cultivar denomination: ‘INCALCOBLU’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION AND STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT

This application claims priority to a Canadian Plant Breeders' Rights application filed on Apr. 15, 2019, application number 19-9759. There have been no offers for sale anywhere in the world prior to the effective filing date of this Application and no accessibility to one of ordinary skill in the art could have been derived from the printed Plant Breeder's Rights documents.

The Inventor/Applicant asserts that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor. Applicant claims a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant, botanically known as Calibrachoa sp. and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘INCALCOBLU’.

The new Calibrachoa plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Johannesburg, South Africa. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact, mounding and early-flowering Calibrachoa plants with large attractive flowers and good garden performance.

The new Calibrachoa plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Johannesburg, South Africa in November, 2015 of Calibrachoa Llave & Lex. ‘Calipetite Blue’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Calibrachoa sp. identified as code number Ca14-5432-2, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Calibrachoa plant was discovered and first selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Johannesburg, South Africa in April, 2017.

Asexual reproduction of the new Calibrachoa plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Gensingen, Germany since April, 2017 has shown that the unique features of this new Calibrachoa plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘INCALCOBLU’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘INCALCOBLU’ as a new and distinct Calibrachoa plant:

-   -   1. Compact and uniformly low mounding to eventually trailing         plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large dark purple-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

The new Calibrachoa plant can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Calipetite Blue’. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of ‘Calipetite Blue’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more mounding than and not         as flat as plants of ‘Calipetite Blue’.     -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have larger flowers than plants         of ‘Calipetite Blue’.

The new Calibrachoa plant can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more mounding than and not         as upright as plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are broader leaves than plants         of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Calibrachoa can be compared to plants of the Calibrachoa sp. ‘Uscali51’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,874. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Calibrachoa differ primarily from plants of ‘Uscali51’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more compact than and not         as large as plants of ‘Uscali51’.     -   2. Plants of the new Calibrachoa are more freely branching than         plants of ‘Uscali51’.     -   3. Plants of the new Calibrachoa have larger flowers than plants         of ‘Uscali51’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Calibrachoa plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Calibrachoa plant. At the top of the photographic sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘INCALCOBLU’ grown in a container and at the bottom of the photographic sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘INCALCOBLU’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring in 15.25-cm containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada and under cultural practices typical of commercial Calibrachoa production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 27° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were pinched three weeks after planting and were eleven weeks from planting rooted cuttings when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Calibrachoa sp. ‘INCALCOBLU’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Calibrachoa Llave & Lex.             ‘Calipetite Blue’, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Calibrachoa Llave & Lex. identified as code number             Ca14-5432-2, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact and uniformly low mounding             to eventually trailing plant habit; moderately vigorous             growth habit; moderate growth rate; freely branching habit             with about five primary lateral branches each with about             nine secondary branches developing per plant; dense and             bushy appearance.         -   Plant height.—About 13.4 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 26 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Primary branches.—Length: About 18.1 cm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Internode length: About 1.1 cm.         -   Secondary branches.—Length: About 10.3 cm. Diameter: About             1.3 mm. Internode length: About 6 mm.         -   Strength.—Weak to moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright then outwardly spreading to             eventually trailing.         -   Texture and luster.—Moderately pubescent; matte.         -   Color, developing and developed.—Close to 145A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate; after flowering,             opposite; leaves simple.         -   Length.—About 4 cm.         -   Width.—About 1 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Apex.—Broadly acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire, not lobed.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Moderately             pubescent; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Darker than 138B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: More             grey than 147B; venation, close to 144C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm.             Strength: Weak to moderately strong. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent; matte. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single salverform flowers             arising from leaf axils; freely flowering habit with             typically about 500 flowers and flower buds developing per             plant; flowers face upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; pleasant, sweet.         -   Natural flowering season.—Early flowering, plants of the new             Calibrachoa begin flowering about five to seven weeks after             planting; plants flower continuously from the spring though             the summer until frost.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten             days on the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Oblong, elongate. Texture and luster: Densely             pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 83A to 83B; at the base,             close to 2C.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 2.2 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 9 mm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter.—Proximally, about 4 mm; distally,             about 9 mm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five fused petals opening into a             flared trumpet. Petal lobe length (from throat): About             1.6 cm. Petal lobe width: About 1.6 cm. Petal shape: Roughly             fan-shaped. Petal apex: Rounded and shallowly emarginate.             Petal margin: Entire; moderately undulate. Petal texture and             luster, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous, velvety; matte.             Petal texture and luster, lower surface: Sparsely pubescent;             matte. Throat texture and luster: Glabrous; slightly glossy.             Tube texture and luster: Sparsely pubescent; matte. Color:             Petal lobe, when opening, upper surface: Close to 83A. Petal             lobe, when opening, lower surface: Close to N80C. Petal             lobe, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 83B becoming             closer to N82A and eventually closer to N82C with             development; midvein, close to N187A and lateral venation,             close to 83A. Petal lobe, fully opened, lower surface: Close             to N82B to N82C becoming closer to N82D with development;             midvein, close to N187A and lateral venation, close to 83B.             Throat: Distally, close to 83A and proximally, close to 13B;             venation, close to 200A. Tube: Distally, close to N82D and             proximally, close to 4B; venation, close to N187A.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five             sepals fused towards the base and arranged in a single             whorl. Sepal length: About 1.6 cm. Sepal width: About             3.5 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate, moderately reflexed. Sepal             apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture and luster,             upper surface: Moderately pubescent; matte. Sepal texture             and luster, lower surface: Sparsely to moderately pubescent;             matte. Sepal color, upper surface: Close to 137B; at the             base, close to 145B. Sepal color, lower surface: Close to             137D; at the base, close to 145B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Angle: About 45° from stem axis. Strength: Moderately             strong. Texture and luster: Densely pubescent; matte. Color:             Close to 144B; occasionally tinged with close to N77C at             calyx attachment.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.             Filament length: About 7 mm. Filament color: Close to 154C.             Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther             color: Close to 10C. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color:             Close to 11B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 6 mm. Style length: About 5 mm. Style color:             Close to 145B. Stigma diameter: Less than 1 mm. Stigma             shape: Ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to 145A. Ovary             color: Close to 145B. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed and             fruit development have not been observed on plants of the             new Calibrachoa. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and to be     suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Calibrachoa have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Calibrachoa plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Calibrachoa plant named ‘INCALCOBLU’ as illustrated and described. 